Food Trips: F.U. Burger

Another food review! But this one isn't all cozy and romantic like most of the most places I go. But it's a nice sweet joint.

MANLY

And this is the Friends Unlimited Burger or FU Burger!

After grabbing some files in the office, my friend told me about a fancy burger joint which was cheaper and bigger than most. I'm not really a fan of burgers but since I haven't had a decent breakfast, nor was I able to eat lunch, I was pretty hungry.

After wandering around and asking for directions for about an hour, we were able to find it at Arnaiz Ave, Pasay City. Talk about wandering to the next city!

FU Burger can be found at PTT Gas station





It's an open air burger joint, so it has that rugged feeling, in a semi depressed busy area. So do be mindful of your stuff when eating here as a precaution. Since it's deep inside the PTT gas station, I believe it's a relatively safe place. Just avoid showing off your fancy gadgets.



At first I thought the name was Eat Like Big.. but apparently it's not.

The prices are pretty steep, however, it is cheaper than most fancy burger joints. It is more expensive than McDonald's, perhaps on the price range of Wendy's. Everyone I knew kept on comparing this place with Stackers, but I've never been there.



This is what we got, the Up and Down Burger with lotsa cheese, and some nice big fries that didn't seemed sad! This one had bacon!

scale with steak knife

The burger was overflowing with CHEESE!! I love cheese! And it was huge! the patty was about an inch and a half thick packed with beef! so yummy!!!

It was worth the review. If you happen to be walking through Arnaiz Ave (The road that leads to LRT Libertad station)



and this guy will be your companion while you eat

I would recommend this place if you're with a bunch of friends, but I would suggest that there is a presence of at least one man among your group of friends. I will also recommend this one for a lover or a date if you love eating burgers in open air. Not really a place for kids though because of the location.

Trip to Canyon Cove Hotel and Spa

My friend Karen had five coupons for a daytrip in Canyon Cove at Nasugbu, Batangas. If you're coming from the heart of Manila, the trip will cost you 5 hours. Since my friends are the "low-cost" backpacker's, I'll add some tips to save some money along the way



The place is at Nasugbu, just a few kilometers from the town proper. When travelling far flung places, it's always wise to have a map on your smartphone. I would advise you to get WAZE (not a sponsor of this trip, just a handy tool) or Google maps.

Just ride a tricycle from Nasugbu town proper. It would cost you 20 php each. A rule of thumb for backpackers! Never ask for the price, just hand the driver 50 php and read his body language.


The entrance for backpackers is at the back of the sign. If you want to avoid the cars coming in.


The resort is pretty huge! Not recommended if you're lazy in walking



Sundays are great to avoid crowds!





The majestic BLUE SEA!! It was my first time to go to a beach with a clear blue water with no trash. Nature is such a beauty!




By late afternoon, the blue sea turned to a not so aqua blue sea. Still, it was very peaceful. If you love taking photos, go to the beach in the morning!

A daytrip would cost 1000 php with 300 pesos consumable. Food is discouraged though but if you insist, there is a 1000php corkage fee! too much!

Food is brought to you by Max's Restaurant, but without the service fee. I don't like their service crew though since you need to catch EVERY CREW'S attention just to place an order. One guy told us he wasn't taking orders, so he called someone, then after a few minutes we saw him taking some other group's orders!! Nobody cleaned up the table and one crew decided to clean the table next to ours first. I asked them for 10 glasses of water since they told us they can't leave a pitcher. The waiter decided to leave it at the next table. =_= seriously, bad service!!! I told my friends to stop asking the crew to clean up our table for the umpteenth time so they'd have a hard time serving our food while cleaning our table.. yup it's that kind of service where your horns start to grow and btch about everything because of the bad service when normally you have the patience of a saint when it comes to the service crew. At least the good ones.

I know they're probably stressed out from the (small) crowd of lunchtime, but in our case they just decided to ignore us. Maybe cause we looked like college kids. I told my friend to flash their credit cards so we can get some attention. They just seemed miserable at their jobs.

The food was great though, as expected of Max's restaurant!

All in all, if you want to enjoy the sun the beach and a beautiful view, I would suggest this place, but be warned! the place would cost 1000php per head, (food included). The hotel is also priced steeply at 5k php  average per night, although I am very sure it's worth it! i'm guessing it's a 5-star hotel. The place is pretty fancy, so if you hate rubbing elbows with the rich, I wouldn't suggest this place to you.

Ayala Serin/ The District Tagaytay

I went to Tagaytay last Saturday. It isn't as fun as it was a few months ago when it was colder, but the new Ayala mall opened up.

There wasn't much yet to see at the mall, however the few stores opened there was very beautiful indeed

Even the groceries have some pretty home decors like this plastic pot with a doily tray. Absolutely GORGEOUS! This was taken at Walter Mart. I hope other Walter marts have these beautiful pots :) 

Lucina was this home decor shop that featured so many lovely items. 

There was also a flower shop sadly I didn't catch the name. 

How to get there:

Ayala Serin is located at Nasugbu-Tagaytay road, a few blocks away from the Olivarez Rotonda.

If you're taking the bus from Manila, take any bus that goes through Tagaytay like Nasugbu, Lian, Mendez or Alfonso, and ask the conductor to drop you at The District Tagaytay. 

Review: Mary Grace Cafe

Hello friends! Welcome to yet another restaurant/cafe review

For some time now, I've been seeing Mary Grace in kiosks. Since it was a kiosk, it generally didn't appeal to me and I have ignored it for the past few years. Last Sunday, April 12, 2015, my bestfriend, Mabs, recommended it to me since I  was craving for something light to eat. 

They don't really have a restaurant, but they have extended their kiosk at Robinson's Manila to have an "outdoor" Cafe.

The restaurant was very open, with planters giving it "division". It was something that has put me off of this place. But since it overlooked the Midtown Activity Center, it didn't really matter to me at that time. 

photo from website

Although the  seating area lacked that bit of cafe intimiacy, the place had a homey look. Mismatched chairs of white metal wrought iron made the cafe look like it was in another dimension

Each table was unique. Square wooden tables topped with glass. What made it unique was the sweet handwritten letters, cute photos, stationary and other kitsch that was placed underneath the table. It reminded me of "grandma's house" if my grand mother's house was fancy! They had lovely centerpiece tables and what caught my interest was the seashells painted purple and arranged to look like freshly cut hydrangea! 

The table setup was adorable too! unlike most restaurant cafes that offer placemats for their guests, Mary Grace offered doilys for their drinks!

I love doilys. They're very pretty, but you can't buy them in stores. 

Although their signature items are the ensaymada and cheese rolls (which we didn't try), we did get to taste their cakes, pasta and sandwich, and all I can say is, THEY SHOULD BOAST THEIR FOOD MORE!!

Their food is like a special niche, something you'd probably just try for the sake of trying new, and you will end up regretting not trying them out before! Their pasta is just right and very flavorful! and this is from someone who has very high standards in terms of pasta. I usually prefer my own cooking to most restaurants since I usually end up frustrated and sad, but Mary Grace Cafe know how to make a very good tasting pasta. Something you would crave for when down.

And don't get me started with the cakes

I've never had a strawberry shortcake before. I often see them in animes, where the heroine would be eating that huge slice of happiness, given to her by a date. When I saw the cake, it really remindeed me of that signature anime cake... 

Since it was plastered on shows, I wanted to try one for YEARS 

And here is Mary Grace's STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

210 php per price

It looks way happier than this gif!!

Every bite had strawberries! Plus the vanilla cream blended everything together. It wasn't overly sweet like most artificially flavored cake, so I really loved this one!

Their Chocolate truffle was also very good! I'm not a fan of Chocolate cakes though, but the cake was super moist, and very flavorful. 

Most cakes make me sick after a few bites, but Mary Grace knows just how to make the right balance!

I also love their staff. They have a small crew but I noticed they're very attentive! They kept our drinks refilled and they're very attentive! They're very friendly too! Unlike Shakey's where you've caught every crew's attention and yet they only listen to your needs, not attend to it.

If I were to rate this shop, I'd give it a perfect 5! I've stopped minding the "outdoor cafe" style, since that has its own charm. 

I would recommend this shop for business meetings, (no outlet for laptops though) study cafe and dates. The place didn't give you a "please eat as quickly as you can" vibe, and left us alone. Even though we were done eating, and they have cleared all plates, the staff still attended us, like we just got there.

It doesn't have that sweet cozy incandescent lighting fixture perfect for a romantic dinner dates, but it's great if you prefer a daytime permanently afternoon tea time dates!

A good crew, good food and a niche cafe, that is what Mary Grace is all about. 

Review: Cara Mia Gelateria

On April 12, 2015, I went with my best friends to have a taste of Cara Mia at Robinsons Ermita. Since it was really hot, I was really in the mood for something cold! Something interesting, "Cara Mia" is Italian for "my dear" and they serve Italian ice cream (Gelato)

The place had a lovely modern setting with incandescent lighting, so it was really cozy. We spent around two hours at the place so I can say it really is!

It was my first time in the place so it took me a long time to decide while at the counter, but I went with a gelato cake and an ice cream.

new flavor... apple Pie

The gelato is served in a paper cup with an adorable plastic spoon. I'm estimating the 1 scoop is around 1.5 cup. The cup is full and heaping, so it's really worth your money.

And as a bonus, since I tried a new flavor, they give you one scoop free of any of their old flavors! We're lucky to be there for their promo!


we got this one for a freebie

photo from Cara Mia website

The Mango Berry Medley, But it was in a cup. The mango taste really blends so well with the cream!

My best friend got a chocolate one

photo from Cara Mia website

I can't recall what the flavor was. But it looked totally awesome and yummy.

The gelato really hold their names well. The apple Pie tasted like an apple pie ala mode, blended all together in a scoop while the Mango Berry Medley tasted like a very creamy mango, with a generous amount of blue berries!

For the cakes, we got the Mango Passion and Rouge

Mango Passion

Rouge

And  I am very happy. I got the rouge and it really was scrumptious! They didn't inform me, but there's a thin layer of sponge cake just above the graham layer. It was triple layer of strawberry, blueberry and vanilla. all presented in an adorable little plate, and garnished, with such adorable-ness.

155 php of happiness

150 php of mango love

The crew was very sweet and accommodating. They know their products very well, which is a plus for me! They didn't serve service water though, but they do serve drinks.

All in all, I think Cara Mia Gelateria is one of those under rated places. Most Gelatos are very expensive, so I was surprised that they served each scoop at less than a 90 php. (most serve at 95php) and they were very generous with the serving. What I love the most are the gelato cakes! each slice is HUGE, and I will definitely trade their cake for a Starbucks cake/drinl. Rouge is the most expensive slice by the way, so if you're in a mood for dessert while you're on a date or if you're catching up with your friends, but don't really want to spend a lot of money, I would definitely recommend this place!

Review Luminous Angel Deluxe Face Palette by Victoria's Secret

My cousin gave me this wonderful palette since she was disposing her products. I am not a fan of colors, or eyeshadows in general, but I decided to take this one. 

What the package says (from VS website): 

Victoria's Secret Luminous ANGEL Deluxe Face Palette - Limited Edition

• Victoria's Secret Luminous Angel Deluxe Face Palette
• Evoke the ethereal with this palette that contains 3 feminine matte shadows and one shimmering shadow, a gel liner, one blush and endless possibilities of how the night will go

And this is what it looks on the inside

It's a complete set for your face, having a 4 palette eyeshadow, and a blush plus a gel liner. or so we thought. 

The item was mislabeled at the site but don't get discouraged. 

The item contains:

-2 shimmer eye shadow (white and brown)

-1 matte eye shadow (dark brown) 

-1 glitter eyeshadow (gold)

-bronzer (not a blush) 

-HUGE AMOUNT of gel liner

After using it for several months now, this is now my verdict. 

EYESHADOWS: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

The eyeshadows are wonderful. Especially if you're the type of person who's afraid or shies away from color, or if you like a natural but glamorous look. Now this isn't the first time I've had an eyeshadow palette, however this was the first palette that I've kept that I actually used on a daily basis for work. Most eyeshadows I've used only a week then I forget about them. I'm not an eyeshadow person basically, and this HAS converted me. 

photo taken at dusk. You can tell it's quite pigmented

They're very pigmented, the dark brown is very dark, the brown is brown and the gold is just that:  GOLD. It can be a very solid color but it easily blends. The white is semi transluscent so it's buildable, and let's be honest, you don't want a strong higlighting color. The four colors blend pretty well, so if you're a beginner like me at eyeshadows, you can just blend away your mistakes. Check out the circular strokes I made with the darkest pigment, You don't need to rub away your eye flaps just to get it to blend. It also lasts long despite the humid climate, but if you don't want to retouch, I would suggest a primer for it to last an 8-10 hour shift. The great side is that they're also generous with the eyeshadows so I am very sure it will last me a long time 

This is wonderful for the day at the office, since it makes you look polished, at the same time, it's also wonderful at night with the shimmery pigments, if you're into parties.

BRONZER/BLUSH: ♥♥

I was a bit skeptical with the bronzer, since I didn't really know what it was. The package says it's a bronzer, the site says it's a blusher. I tried it as both, and both times I'm... meh

just makes you glittery

As a bronzer... Its shade is too similar to my own skin such that if I apply it, I don't get any additional tan. I don't really know if I love it or not, I feel like I don't want to give up on it?

But it does leave me glittery like in the swatch. I don't use bonzers, so I don't really understand if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If you're looking for any additional tan, then I suggest you forget about it. 

As a blusher... well, it blends well on my face, so much that I cannot tell where it is, and seems to mattify when applied on my face o.O I can see glitter but it's pretty matte looking. I guess my freshly washed face has a more dewy look than the blush. It gets shiny, but my own sebum does a better job for a dewy look. For a blush. it is not something I would buy. I'll probably use it as an eyeshadow as well, 

GEL LINER: ♥♥♥

I'm not a fan of gel liner. But I have used gel liners before, and I must say the gel liner is pretty decent. The color is a bit translucent for me, so you need a lot of application before you see any effects, but is that's your thing then good for you. It also smudges, but it doesn't give you hard to get rid of panda eyes. I don't like the smudgy look...

 Since I'm in a tropical country where it's quite humid, it holds well but eventually fade. I give it 4 hours for the staying power but if you're in a temperate country, I suppose it would do the job for the staying power. It's also great for water lining, which is something a liquid liner cannot do. 

It's decent compared with other gel liners that I have used in the past. There's also a lot of it in the palette. But I think it's unhygienic. My gel liner had absorbed the excess eyeshadows and bronzers whenever I used them, so now it's a black glittery muck. 

They didn't provide a brush with this so you need a set of your own. 

 All in all I like the gel liner, it's decent, but it's not something I could rave about. If you're travelling and you forget your liner, then this gel liner will do the job. 

PACKAGING: ♥♥♥♥♥

I'm not really the type to complain about the mislabeled stuff, but I know some people would especially if they bought this online without seeing the actual product. 

I love the packaging. The black case looks so sleek and pretty like an ebony box only made of plastic. It's not the cute and pretty kind but it's something I would put inside my bag since it doesn't take up too much unnecessary space. I also love how big the mirror is! I don't have my own mirror dedicated for my makeup bag so this one is pretty handy to have. 

Final Verdict: ♥♥♥♥

I got this stuff knowing that I disliked pretty much everything it features, from eyeshadows to bronzers to gel liners, so I'm supposed to be unhappy with it and just forget about it. However, the eyeshadows have converted me and that is a big thing! The bronzer, it can get shattered for all I care, but the gel liner is a convenience to have. I won't trade my Kiss Me Heroine Eye Liner for this gel liner, but if I'm left with no choice, the gel liner will suffice. It's like a security blanket. 

To sum it up, I love this palette, and I would recommend it to you! especially for those who's just starting out with makeup. 

On Plus sizes and Dresses

Mori style is one of those tricky clothes. Thin girls think it's for the chubby side cause of all the layers, and everything is just so loose,  while plus size girls  think it's for the skinny ones since almost all the catalogs feature a skinny girl. The truth is, it's for everyone. You just need to buy the right size. I think it's one of the easiest styles to wear, and something you can wear without the fear of being cat called.




While I was in one of the exhibitor's meeting, a new found friend told me, "You, know I want to wear pretty clothes and dresses, but it just doesn't suit me.."

I've often been told by friends of my customers. "I love your clothes but it doesn't suit me." And everytime I hear those words, I could feel the heavy sadness they felt whenever they said them.

I've never felt skinny all my life. When I was(skinny), during my highschool and college days, my mom kept telling me that I am fat. FAT like obese FAT. I had a good body, btw near underweight. Since  my arms was fatty, I thought I was on the chubby side too! And I thought to be skinny, you shouldn't have any bumps on your navel, and I had that! So i must be chubby right?

her tummy is still convex! FAT!!!

Apparently that bumpy fat below your navel that you don't see on magazine models were photoshopped. I was just stupid enough to believe it has to be flat like a wall or concave to call yourself slim.

And now I look back with regrets. I could have worn anything. From frilly dresses to bodycons to whatever the latest trend was! instead, I believed I was fat and never bothered with all the fun side of wearing clothes. Lol thanks mom!

Now that I actually gained weight, it was harder to dress up. jeans just look awkward, dresses don't fall right and everything else seems awkward. Dressing up became a pain. It wasn't much of a dilemma for me though since I always wore a uniform, but on those times that I had to dress up, I didn't know what to wear.

Until I met one of my friends, Bunny. She had dark skin, an orangey hair, wearing an overly loud pink lipstick. She had bangles all over her wrist with and it was just loud.

this was my first impression of her. bleached hair, loud make up and a pretty nail polish. all while in a school uniform 

I can't help but get drawn to her cause she was so charming and happy and she wore everything like that happy kogal in the photo quite well. But here's the catch, she was on the plus side. She had PCOS, and one of the symptoms of that disease is a tendency for obesity. If you're obese, and have irregular menses, go have yourself checked by a gynecologist!

Everything she wore she made it look as if it was made for her. She wasn't model material but she's HOT. One day when we were shopping together, I said the same things that my customers tell me. "I want to dress up, but the ones I like, I don't know if I can carry it well."

She looked straight into my eyes and just told me frankly "Just wear whatever you want. Nobody really cares what you wear."

We all knew her as that fashionista babe, who loved to accessorize and looked well polished even if we were just in school. She was confident with whatever she wore, even though she had unsightly curves, and wrong curves at the wrong places. And for that everything she wore looked amazing! even if what she was wearing was just our school uniform.

her technique was simple: Confidence

She wore body cons and the latest trends not batting an eyelash if it looks gaudy on other plus sized people, cause it looked fabulous on her. I knew most of what was in fashion because of her, and I've stopped being overly conscious of what I was wearing. And as I am writing this on a throwback thursday, I realized my regrets even more. All I wore was pretty boring

From then on,  I stopped being bothered with what other people thought, and suddenly a whole new world opened before me. I was no longer limited and life became more fun!

These are the words I told to my new found friend, "You know, you should just wear whatever you want to wear. When will you start wearing them, when you're old and wrinkly and say to yourself you're too old for those styles?  You'd look back with regret cause you'll never really have the perfect body for that particular style. So just wear them now." And those are my words for you if you're scared to wear a particular style

Hope that inspires you! So I will leave this entry with a bunch of my favorite photos of mori girls to help you with coords,

soource: http://lookbook.nu/look/6418364-Lane-Bryant-Jersey-Cardigan-Home-Made-Dress

so  cozy!!

http://c4tbus.tumblr.com/

I love this shoot! It's so dynamic!!

http://lookbook.nu/collections/25706-plus-size-mori

from Alishia Burns Photography

from Alishia Burns Photography

I love this relaxed one with the splash of rose color. You can wear mori style clothes even for everyday and it looks fab. 

from Alishia Burns Photography